How To Avoid CRM Buying Mistakes

Craig Klein5:00 am

07Dec

By Craig Klein

5 Tips for Selecting A CRM Software Solution

Choosing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software solution can be a daunting task. There are a plethora of CRM software solutions out there that would lead you to believe that they have the best solution for your business, so who do you believe? How do you know which CRM software provider will truly be able to take your business to the next level? Here we uncover 5 things that can help make the CRM solution search less painful and more productive, so here goes.

Know What You Need

If you are looking for a customer relationship management system you have obviously identified a need want that you your CRM solution to fulfill. Maybe your sales team needs organization help, perhaps you are looking for business efficiencies, or you want to keep track of your sales team efforts? Keep this need or needs first and foremost as you wade through CRM service providers. It’s easy to get derailed by flashy interfaces or persuaded by pricing. But at the end of the day you and your sales team will only be happy with a functional CRM solution that gets the job done!

Leave Room For Business Growth

The fact that you are searching for a CRM software solution for your business indicates that you expect your business to grow and change. Thus, it is really important to find a CRM solution that is flexible for your ever-changing needs. Does the CRM software provider offer upgrade packages? Has the CRM solution had success with businesses of all sizes or just small businesses? Is the CRM system easy to customize? Getting these questions answered will help you in the long–run!

Data Storage & Access

When considering a CRM software solution you must think about the fact that they will be responsible for hosting and storing your valuable customer information. Thus, it is prudent to ask the right questions upfront in order to keep you and your customers happy. You will want to ask if the data is hosted in-house and if not, who hosts it and do some research on their reliability. You will also want to ask about data backup and recovery in the instance of some unforeseen circumstance. Without a strong backup system and lighting fast data recovery your sales and business will suffer. You need access to this information 24/7. And what happens if you discontinue service? Is it a pain to get your coveted data migrated elsewhere?

Customer Service Wins

Getting a swanky CRM software solution won’t get you anywhere unless they provide good customer service. The best product in the world won’t help if your team doesn’t know how to use it. You should be looking for a CRM solution partner who is committed to your team. The perfect CRM partner will work with your team on an implementation and training program to make sure that your team knows how to use it and why it is important. Creating belief in a tool doesn’t happen overnight. But consistent training and a proven and timely implementation plan will work wonders.

Investment vs. Value

You must look at your CRM software system as an investment, not a pricing game to see how cheap you can get it. As with other things in life, with CRM software solutions, you get what you pay for. If your CRM solution can help you manage your sales, be better at customer service and become more efficient, it’s worth the extra pennies.

When you find a CRM software provider who can meet your business needs, grow with your company, protect and manage your data and help your team learn and implement the CRM software the price will be seen as an investment and you will have found your match! Check out How To Choose CRM Software for even more tips on selecting the best CRM solution for your business!